


Four-Fold Blessings

by Mikauzoran



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette, Aged-Up (16), Baking, Emotional Support, F/M, First Kiss, Flirting, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Happy Ending, IDENTITY SHENANIGANS, Identity Reveal, Kissing, Lady Noir - Freeform, Love Confessions, Marichat, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Partnership, Pining, Reveal, Romance, Supportive Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Talking, adrienette - Freeform, ladrien, supportive ladybug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:54:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25367926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikauzoran/pseuds/Mikauzoran
Summary: Adrien decides that it’s time to respect Ladybug’s wishes and truly move on, but, in order to date Marinette, he feels he has to be completely honest with her, and that icludes revealing his identity.A story based on the four kisses meme (a kiss on the ear, forehead, nose, and lips) with each corner of the love square:Chapter One: Lady NoirChapter Two: LadrienChapter Three: MarichatChapter Four: Adrienette
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 115
Kudos: 472





	1. Lady Noir: Ear

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! Thank you for joining me. For those of you who don't know, my name is Mikau. It's nice to meet you! ^.^ Hello as well to all of you returning readers! I hope you enjoy this short, four-chapter Love Square story.
> 
> I think the only note I have is that this takes place on a Friday night in mid-December when Adrien and Marinette are sixteen and a half (I headcanon their birthdays as April thirtieth and June sixth respectively).
> 
> Enjoy!

“So…there’s this girl,” Chat Noir broke the companionable silence of the mid-December night.

Ladybug nearly fell off the roof as she whipped her head around to stare at her partner. “What? Wait. Like…a girl you _like_?”

A rose-tinted blush leaked out from beneath his mask as he nodded, turning to smile at her bashfully. “Yeah. That kind of girl.”

Unexpectedly, Ladybug’s chest tightened. It took her a moment to come up with some facsimile of an answering smile. “W-Wow. Chat Noir, congratulations. That’s…That’s great. I’m happy for you.” Only the last sentence came out sounding heartfelt. Only the last sentence was true.

She didn’t feel like congratulating him. She didn’t think it was great, but she wanted her partner to be happy, so she was happy for him…even if that meant being sad for herself.

Not sad exactly. Sad wasn’t quite the right word. It wasn’t as if she’d be crying over this later. She’d long ago ruled out a romance with Chat Noir, even if her feelings for him had grown into something less than platonic over the past two years. It was more that she felt like she was losing something.

Despite having toned down the flirting, Chat Noir had always harbored a special affection for her. His feelings for her hadn’t gone away, even though he’d stopped voicing them.

She already knew she was going to miss him being in love with her.

“Thanks, Ladybug.” He breathed out a sigh of relief, some of the tension melting from his shoulders. “About two months ago, I realized that me sitting around waiting for you to change your mind about dating me was not, in fact, respecting your wishes, so I decided to try to move on for real this time.”

“Oh,” she breathed, touched that he cared so much. “Chat Noir, that’s really sweet. I appreciate the thought…. So…who’s this girl? Anyone I know?”

She tried to smile, tried to be a supportive friend.

He perked up, a light coming into his eyes as he thought about Marinette. “We’ve known each other for a couple years now, and she’s a good friend. I’ve kind of had a crush on her for a while, but I didn’t really let it go anywhere because I wasn’t ready to give up hope on you.”

“Oh, Chaton,” Ladybug cooed, resting a supportive hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t be alone just because you and I can’t be together. You should ask her out.”

“Yeah?” He brightened even more. “You think?”

She nodded, giving his shoulder a squeeze. “If she makes you happy. More than anything, I want you to be happy, Chat Noir. This is a good thing.”

“I was actually hoping you’d say something like that,” he chuckled, scratching at the back of his neck. “I’m really serious about her, Ladybug, and I want things to work.”

His face took on a solemn expression, eyebrows inching together. “But I don’t think it will unless I’m totally honest with her.”

Her brow creased as she tried to follow what he was saying. “What do you mean? Honest how?”

He inhaled deeply and then slowly let out the breath. “I’m saying that I need to tell her who I am.”

She dropped her hand from his shoulder and immediately opened her mouth to protest, but he headed her off.

“Please, Ladybug? I can’t date her as Chat Noir, and if there’s an akuma attack while I’m with her, I can’t just ditch her with some lame excuse,” he pled his case. “If this is going to work, I have to be honest with her about everything. _Everything_.”

Ladybug pursed her lips, internally conceding to his points.

His cat ears flattened, and his tail began to flick agitatedly from side to side as a pout settled onto his face.

Ladybug drew in a slow breath. “Who is this girl?”

He grimaced. “I don’t think I can tell you. For identity reasons,” he added when she started to pull a face. “As I’ve alluded to before, I’m sort of recognizable, and I know you know this girl, so if you see her together with some blonde guy you’ve seen in a random perfume ad, you’ll know it’s me.”

“Oh,” she replied, the fight coming out of her. “But…you trust her with your identity?”

“Absolutely,” he answered automatically, not even having to pause to think about it. “I trust her as much as I trust you, Ladybug. She’s clever and smart,” he insisted. “She’d be careful never to let anything slip. I trust her with this.”

Ladybug’s eyes narrowed as she scrutinized her partner. “You’re not afraid that knowing your identity will put her in danger?”

He shook his head, his resolute expression never wavering. “I’ve been mind-controlled by dozens of akumas over the years, My Lady. If _I_ haven’t given away my own secret identity by now, I doubt she would. Like I said, she’s smart. When akumas attack, she runs for cover. She doesn’t get caught up in the fights too often. So long as we’re careful not to let people see Chat Noir showing her too much favoritism, I think it’ll be okay…. So…please?”

He fixed her with an intent gaze, begging her to relent.

She could tell how bad he wanted this, and who was she to tell him no?

She sighed, leaning in to give his cat ear a kiss.

It flicked like a real cat ear at the feather-light brush of her lips.

“All right, Chat Noir,” she gave in, mustering up an encouraging smile for one of the most important people in her life. “For the record, you don’t need my permission, but I’m glad that you talked with me about this.”

He quirked an eyebrow, completely nonplussed at this revelation. “I… _don’t_ need your permission?”

She shook her head, scooting in closer to lean against him, resting her head on his shoulder. “I’m not your boss. We’re partners, and it’s _your_ life, your decision to make. I’m not going to tell you what you can and can’t do or threaten to take your Miraculous away. If this is what you choose to do, then I support you.”

“Even though you don’t like it?” he fished, letting his head tip to rest against hers.

“Even though I don’t like it,” she confirmed. “I support you. You don’t have to always agree with the people you love. You just have to keep loving them.”

“You love me?” he whispered, taken aback by the implication of her words.

She nodded. “Yep. Chaton, you’re one of my closest friends. I love you immensely.”

He slipped his hand into hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I love you too, My Lady.”

She squeezed back. “I’m glad you found someone.”

The words were still hard to get out, but they felt truer this time.

“I hope she loves you every bit as much as you deserve,” she whispered.

“Thanks,” he chuckled back, pure joy pooling in his chest, warming his heart as they sat there together, watching the snow flurries’ attempt to cover Paris in a thin veil of white.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is kind of short. ^.^; I hope you liked it. The other chapters are about two thousand words apiece, but I feel like what I wrote for this one was sufficient. I wanted to highlight the strength of their partnership and the trust and respect they have for one another as well as show some of the affection between them. Lady Noir rooftop snuggles and deep conversations are my favourite things about this corner of the love square. ^.^
> 
> Next up is Ladrien which I have never written before, so that should be exciting. I'll see you Saturday, 07/25/2020 for the next installment. Thanks for reading, guys!


	2. Ladrien: Forehead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Welcome back for Chapter Two. A huge thank you to everyone who bookmarked the story or left kudos or took the time to share their thoughts in a comment. I'm super grateful and glad that you're enjoying the story so far!
> 
> Chapter Two takes place the day after Chapter One, so it's Saturday night in this chapter.
> 
> Enjoy!

Her head had been a mess all day.

She couldn’t help thinking about whether Chat Noir had confessed to the girl he liked yet. She knew it was unlikely because they’d talked less than twenty-four hours before, but…

As evening descended, she grew more and more agitated, eventually deciding to go out for a run.

“Okay, Marinette,” Tikki sighed. “But be careful running on rooftiles. They’ll be slick from the snow.”

She gave her kwami a kiss but shrugged off the warning, figuring she’d be fine in her super suit.

As it turned out, the tiles of the Agreste Mansion roof were very slick and very steep, sending her tumbling into the fortress-like backyard garden with an undignified, “Gyaaaaa—oof!”

She landed in a heap at the top of the stone steps just under Adrien’s massive wall of windows. The suit absorbed the worst of the blow, but she was still jostled and embarrassed, so she let herself lie there for a moment, meditating on her poor life choices.

“Ladybug?!” a frantic, familiar voice called up to her. “Are you okay?!”

She was on her feet in an instant, peering down over the railing at a startled Adrien in the courtyard below.

She forced a wide smile that she hoped inspired confidence. “Fine! Sorry. I’m fine. Just…lost in thought. I tripped,” she rushed to explain, knowing she sounded like a total spazz. “I’m sorry for disturbing you. I’ll be on my way now. Have a nice night, Adrien.”

“Wait!” he called out to her, reaching up as if he might stop her with the gesture.

She paused with her hand on her yoyo, cocking her head to the side, curious as to what he would say.

“Um…” Adrien hesitated, aware that what he wanted to ask would sound a little presumptuous, given that she didn’t know that he was her partner. Still, he forged ahead. “Do you need to talk about it? Whatever it was that was distracting you,” he clarified, rubbing at the back of his neck sheepishly. “I know we don’t know one another super well, but I’m willing to listen if you need to get something off your chest. …Anything you say stays between the two of us, of course.”

Her hand fell from her yoyo to her side as she considered his offer, considered Adrien Agreste looking angelic in the soft glow of the streetlights filtering in from beyond the walls and bouncing off the light dusting of snow. Adrien in the Ladybug and Chat Noir pajamas that Marinette had made for him, all bundled up in his grey peacoat.

How did he always manage to look so picture perfect? The universe seemed to conspire to always give him the best lighting to show off his assets to advantage.

“Only if you want,” Adrien added nervously when Ladybug didn’t immediately respond. “Or, if you want, you can just go. You don’t _have_ to talk to me. I just thought…”

Ladybug snapped back to attention, waving her arms to clear away the misunderstanding. “No! Sorry. I was just…thinking.” She dropped her head in shame. “I’m really sorry, Adrien. I’m kind of out of it right now. _Thank you_ ,” she stressed. “That’s a really sweet offer. I appreciate it…and maybe I _do_ need someone to talk to.”

He smiled brightly and motioned her down the steps. “Come on down. There’s a bench where we can sit and talk.”

She nodded, hopping over the railing and landing in a crouch in front of him. She rose to her feet and opened her mouth to thank him again but froze as she registered the statue sitting on the bench in the grotto behind him. Before, it had been hidden in the deep shadows of the recess in the wall, but now she could see it more clearly.

“Is that your mother?” she whispered as if in a church.

Émilie’s life-size statue had been lovingly brushed off, and there was an indent in the snow at her feet where Adrien had been sitting, resting his head in the cold, hard lap of the image of his mother.

Adrien turned around to look, his face flushing as he realized what Ladybug must be seeing.

“Oh…uh…yeah. That’s…kind of weird, isn’t it?” He bit the inside of his cheek. “I mean, I know most people don’t build shrines to their dead loved ones like this, but…my father’s still sort of grieving. _I’m_ still sort of grieving, and it’s not like we had a body to put in a grave, so…even though the statue is kind of weird, I’m under the impression that it’s normal to have a place to go to visit loved ones who are no longer with you. It helps to be able to come out here and talk to my mom,” he offered in defence.

“Oh, no. Definitely,” Ladybug assured, placing a supportive hand on his upper arm and giving him a bright smile. “It’s definitely normal to stay connected with your loved ones like that. Most people do it.”

The uncomfortable look faded from Adrien’s face to be replaced by a tentative smile. “Really?”

She nodded. “Yeah. It’s completely normal. There are some people who even do the statue thing too. I mean, rich people, but the statue of your mom isn’t as out there as you might think.”

“Oh,” he chuckled in relief. “Good. Thanks, Ladybug.”

“Sure thing.” It was at that point that she realized she’d had her hand on his arm far longer than was called for. She dropped it quickly and gave him another toothy smile.

“So.” She looked around and spotted a bench directly beneath the stair railing she’d previously been peering over. “Shall we sit down and talk about my problems?”

“Of course.” He extended an arm, showing her over to the bench. “What’s on your mind?”

She breathed out a heavy sigh as she sank down onto the bench, resting her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. “Chat Noir.”

“Ch-Chat Noir?” Adrien echoed, startled.

She nodded. “Last night he told me he’s in love with someone else, and I’m just kind of…not sad or jealous or anything. He’s a dear friend, and I want him to be happy and with someone who loves him, but…”

Adrien’s head inclined slightly in confusion. “But…?”

She sighed. “I am kind of sad and jealous and…having regrets.”

“What do you mean?” he inquired softly, not wanting to pry but… _really_ wanting to pry.

“Things between me and Chat Noir wouldn’t work,” she explained. “We can’t date as superheroes because, if word got out, Papillon could use us against one another. It’s already bad enough with all the rumors about us supposedly being a couple, and, I mean, we _do_ care about one another as friends, so there’s already that, but… And it’s not like we can reveal our identities to one another and date as civilians because then…” She shuddered at memories of akumatized Chat Noir from a timeline that had never been. “…reasons. So even though I could love him if I let myself, I _can’t_ because it won’t work. Not until after Papillon is defeated, and that could be _years_. I can’t ask him to wait an undetermined amount of time to start a relationship.”

“He’d wait,” Adrien cut in quietly. “He _would_ wait, you know, to be with you. He’d wait as long as it took.”

She sat up, pulling her knee into her chest as she shook her head. “He shouldn’t have to. I don’t _want_ him to. I want him to go be happy with that other girl _now_. He’s so lonely, Adrien. His home life sucks, and he can’t even tell me about the particulars because we have to keep our identities safe. I’m sure talking about it a little, however vaguely, helps some, but…I’m completely useless to him.”

“No, Ladybug,” he stressed, hand going to her shoulder. “You’re _not_.”

She rolled her eyes. “Okay. Fine. _Practically_ useless, but the point is that if he started dating this other girl, _she_ could be there for him. She could help him where I can’t. I _want_ him to have her, have her support and affection and-and whatever else he needs. Yes, in an ideal world, I’d kind of want him for myself, but this is reality, and the reality is that he needs someone _now_.”

She let out a heavy sigh, shoulders slumping as her forearms went to rest on her thighs.

“You really do love him,” Adrien whispered, floored by the depths of her feelings.

Ladybug nodded, chuckling ironically. “Yep. He’s my partner. He’s more than a friend or a romantic interest. He’s my other half, and I want good things for him.”

“He wants good things for you too,” Adrien assured, giving her shoulder a bolstering squeeze. “…Like a boyfriend—or girlfriend,” he suggested. “If there’s anyone you’re interested in?”

She laughed, partially amused, partially not. “I’ve had a crush on this guy I’m friends with for going on three years now.”

“Have you told him?” he asked incredulously. He had always kind of assumed that Ladybug was dating the other guy she had told him about, but now he had to wonder.

She shook her head, trying not to burst out into giggles at the irony of Adrien Agreste asking her if she’d told him yet. “Two years ago, I tried any number of times. After that, I kind of just gave up and accepted that we were just going to be friends and that, if destiny really intended us for one another, it would sort itself out. He’s a precious friend, and I’m okay with how things are right now between us. Besides, I’m kind of busy with the whole superhero/high school student/aspiring businesswoman thing. It’s okay. I mean, I _would_ like someone, but…there’s still time for that later.”

Adrien pursed his lips, wanting to tell her that she deserved support and love right now just as much as Chat Noir did.

He gave her arm a pat then dropped his hand to the side. “If you’re sure that’s what you want…but I think you should try again with this guy. If you want someone of your own, you should have someone.”

Her lips curled into a soft genuine smile. “Thanks, Adrien. …So. What were you and your mom talking about when I so rudely came crashing down from the sky and interrupted?”

Adrien’s cheeks went red, and he laughed nervously, averting his eyes. “Oh, are we talking about me now?”

“Yep,” she chuckled. “Spill—Unless it’s personal, of course,” she hurriedly amended. “Just because I talked about my stuff, that doesn’t mean you have to talk about yours.”

“No, it’s okay,” he assured, face burning hotter. “Uh…I was actually talking to her about the girl I like.”

Ladybug’s heart tripped. “O-Oh?”

He nodded, a secretive, smitten smile spreading across his lips. “Yeah. For a long time, I liked someone else—I mean, I kind of had a crush on my friend too, but…my focus was on another girl. She was never actually into me like that, but I kept hoping things would change. A couple months ago, I realized I was being an idiot when there’s another girl I like, every bit as wonderful, who possibly is interested in me too, so…I think I finally decided that I want to ask my friend out, and I was talking it out with Mom.”

Ladybug nodded, trying (hoping) to see Marinette in Adrien’s scant description of his friend. “That’s sweet that you still include your mom in things like that.”

Adrien grimaced. “She’s actually the only one I have to talk about those kinds of things with. My father doesn’t have time for quote-unquote ‘trivial matters’ like that, and Nathalie, my father’s girlfrie—uh, assistant, isn’t the kind of person you talk to about matters of the heart. Neither is my bodyguard Victor, so…”

“Oh, Adrien,” Ladybug breathed, suddenly feeling awful that she’d never realized how isolated he was in his own home. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t—”

“—Don’t worry about it,” Adrien cut her off with a reassuring smile. “I’m okay. I have good friends, and I usually borrow their parents when I need them, but…” He rubbed at the back of his neck, chuckling sheepishly. “It would be kind of awkward to talk to Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng about possibly dating their daughter, so…”

It took every ounce of self-control that Ladybug possessed not to scream and jump up and down and reveal her identity to him right then and there. She physically bit her tongue, forced her lips into an appropriate smile, and chuckled at a suitable volume so that she didn’t sound insane.

“Yeah, I’d imagine that would be kind of awkward. I’m glad you have people to talk to about most things, though,” she managed to reply evenly, as if she had not just been informed that the love of her life was interested in her too.

“Yeah, I’m really lucky,” Adrien agreed with a bright smile.

Ladybug hopped to her feet before she was tempted to kiss him. “Well. I’ve taken up enough of your time. I should get going. Thank you so much for talking with me, though. It really helped getting that off my chest.”

“Uh, yeah. Any ti—” Adrien started to say, but he was cut off by Ladybug leaning in to press a quick kiss to his forehead.

“Marinette is the lucky one,” Ladybug whispered, and, then, with a wink, she was off, dashing across the rooftops once more, careful of her step as she raced home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this was my first time writing Adrien and Ladybug interacting. How did I do? ^.^ I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> Thank you very much for reading, guys. I'll see you again Saturday, 08/01/2020. Take care!


	3. Marichat: Nose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys. Welcome back for Chapter Three. It's fluffy Marichat time. ^.^ I really enjoyed this chapter, so I hope you will as well. Thank you very much for showing your support with comments, kudos, and bookmarks. I really appreciate you guys!
> 
> Chapter Three takes place the day after Chapter Two, so it's Sunday afternoon in this chapter.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Kit Kat, hand me the gumdrops, please,” Marinette requested, rubbing at her forehead with the back of her wrist to avoid getting (even more) icing on her face.

“Right away, Princess,” Chat Noir purred, pausing in the middle of cutting out a [gingerbread ninja](https://www.amazon.com/Mix-Gingerbread-Cookie-Ninja-Ounce/dp/B009EVLREO) to wipe his hands on the [“I Love My Cat” apron](https://flamingoboutique.ca/products/i-love-my-cat) he’d gotten Marinette the previous Christmas.

He reached across the workstation and grabbed the extra container of gumdrops, bringing them over to Marinette’s half of the table, switching out the now-empty container she’d been working out of previously.

It was a chilly Sunday afternoon, and Chat Noir was helping out in the back of Tom and Sabine’s, assisting Marinette in filling an order while Tom and Sabine kept the regular shop business running.

They were making two hundred gingerbread ninjas, and they were a little more than halfway there. Chat’s main job was rolling out the dough, cutting the cookies, and getting them into the oven. Marinette was making the dough, ensuring that the cookies came out of the oven before they burned but not before they were fully baked, and decorating the ninjas.

Chat paused to watch over Marinette’s shoulder as she drew a fierce expression on the gingerbread person’s face.

“May I do one?” he tentatively asked, fully prepared to be told that his cookie decorating abilities were not of professional quality.

He wasn’t sure why that was his kneejerk thought, why the words came out in his father’s voice in his head. Marinette certainly wouldn’t say something so mean, but…

“Sure,” she cheerfully agreed, setting down the piping bag with the white frosting and moving the gingerbread man she’d been working on aside.

She grabbed an undecorated cookie, setting it down on the table in front of him and handing him the piping bag. “Just go slow and focus on applying steady, even pressure,” she coached.

He nodded, taking a deep breath and beginning to carefully squeeze out the icing, starting with the larger aspects of the design before trying out the more intricate details.

It was going pretty well until, suddenly, it wasn’t. He squeezed a little too hard, and a giant glob of frosting squirted out onto the cookie, ruining the design.

“Oops,” he sighed, cat ears drooping. “I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

“—No worries, Chat Noir,” Marinette was quick to reassure with a forgiving smile that took away his anxiety.

She got a knife from one of the drawers and gingerly scraped off the excess frosting. “There. Now you can try again.”

He frowned uncertainly. “Are you sure? You don’t want to do it yourself? I’m not very good at this.”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “You’re not going to get better unless you practice. Don’t worry. You won’t ruin it, and we have plenty of time, plenty of icing, plenty of cookies. It’s not a big deal if you make a mistake,” she encouraged. “You’ll get it eventually.”

The cookie did, indeed, eventually get decorated in a way that was up to standards with only two more small mishaps that were quickly fixed by a scrape of the knife.

“That looks pretty good,” Marinette chuckled, making Chat’s heart fill with pride and a sense of accomplishment.

He turned to grin affectionately at her. “Thanks, Princess. Thanks for being such a patient teacher.”

“Not at all.” She gave his shoulder a playful bump with her own. “You’re a good student.”

Their eyes caught, and Marinette’s stomach flipped as she realized how close they were standing.

Chat’s lips curled into an amused smirk. “Marinette, you’ve got a little something on your face.”

She laughed mirthlessly, mentally kicking herself because he loved someone else, and she was going to give things a try with Adrien, so there was no point in letting her heartbeat quicken over Chat Noir. “That’s hardly surprising. Where?”

“Right…” he stepped in closer, angling his face.

Marinette gasped as he leaned in, her eyes sliding closed as she tipped her head up to meet him.

“…here,” he breathed, depositing a tiny brush of a kiss to her nose.

She pulled back, searching his face in confusion, still stunned at the realization of how badly she had wanted that kiss, how much her heart ached at not getting it.

But then he pulled her into his arms, his ungloved hand stroking her jaw and her neck, and she melted into him, not quite sure what he was doing, what _she_ was doing, but just going with it because it felt right.

He nuzzled her ear and then pulled back slightly so that they could see one another’s faces. “Marinette, I’ve had feelings for you for a long time.”

She blinked. “O-Oh?”

He nodded, a nervous smile wavering on his lips. “I’d just been blinded to them by my feelings for Ladybug, but over the past few months, I’ve realized how precious you are to me. I’ve realized that you’re the one I want to be with.”

She gasped, her brain crashing and trying to reboot, trying to keep up with the words coming out of his mouth.

“I love you, Marinette, and I’d be the luckiest man in the world if you’d consent to go out with me,” he whispered.

“Oh my gosh,” she laughed, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. “I…Chat Noir, I…I love you too.”

Somehow, that was the first thing that made sense in her tangled thoughts.

And then her pragmatic side kicked in and she shook her head. “But we can’t. This can’t work. Superhero duties. The safety of Paris comes first. I can’t be the reason all of Paris ends up underwater,” she tried to explain, but her thoughts were still fragmented and not coming out straight.

“You _won’t_ be,” he stressed, running a hand up and down her back, making calming shushing noises. “Marinette, everything is going to be fine. Papillon will never find out about you because we’re not going to date as Marinette and Chat Noir.”

Her eyes went wide as she recalled the conversation she’d had with him as Ladybug on Friday night.

“I’m going to tell you who I really am,” he informed, voice soft and gentle and loving.

“No!” She squeezed her eyes closed, covering them with her hands so that she wouldn’t be tempted to peek. “Chat Noir, I can’t know. It’s too dangerous!”

“Shhh,” he cooed. “No, it’s not. Don’t worry, Marinette. I talked to Ladybug about this, and she gave us her blessing. We’ll be careful, and everything will be fine. I _trust_ you.”

Those words hit her hard as they called up everything else he’d said to Ladybug about the wonderful girl he was in love with. Now, learning that he’d meant _her_ , her cheeks began to burn, and her heart felt full.

She wanted to accept him and his love. She really did, but…

“Marinette, I’m not about to reveal my identity to you right now,” Chat reassured, carefully tugging her hands from her eyes. “And you don’t have to give me an answer about dating right this second either. We’ve still got, like, six dozen ninjas to bake. I just…”

He sighed, and she opened her eyes to see the earnest expression on his face.

“I just couldn’t not tell you I love you anymore.” He shrugged, smiling helplessly.

She pulled him back into a hug. “I don’t know, Chat Noir. I want to say yes, but…I don’t think now is the right time. I don’t want to tell you that we should wait until after Papillon is no longer a threat, but…”

“I get it,” he admitted. “Just think about it. If I love you and you love me, I don’t think we should wait, but…I was planning on confessing to you and revealing my identity tomorrow. I have a surprise planned, so…maybe once you know who I am, it’ll be easier to decide what you want to do. Imagining a future with a masked superhero is kind of tough. I know. I did that for years with Ladybug, but…maybe it will be easier once I’ve got a face and a last name to go along with the charming personality. Either way, I want you to know who I am, so…”

“Tomorrow?” she echoed, voice hoarse.

He nodded.

“I…don’t know,” she replied honestly. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to give you an answer tomorrow. It’s not just the pressure from superhero responsibilities, Chat Noir. It’s…” She grimaced, her cheeks heating up like her father’s antique bread oven. She wanted to look away, but she forced herself to meet his gaze as she explained, “You’re not the only person I love.”

His face went pale, jaw slackening. His nostrils flared, and he had to remind himself to keep breathing. “O-Oh?” he gulped. “There’s someone else?”

She nodded, ashamed at her greedy heart. “A friend of mine. I’ve been crazy about him for two years now, and I think he’s finally taken an interest in me. I need some time to mentally sort things out. I’m sorry. You deserve a better answer, an unequivocal yes. I need some time to make sure. I don’t want to tell you yes unless I’m one hundred percent certain.”

She reached up to cup his face, running her thumb across his cheek. “You are one of the sweetest, bravest, best people I know, and you deserve someone who’s completely committed to you. I love you, and I want good things for you, so I’m not sure yet if I’m what’s best for you. I do love you, but I love Adrien too, so…” She shook her head, a pained expression stuck to her face. “Give me some time, please.”

“Wait,” he nearly choked, some of the despair evaporating from his demeanor. “Adrien…Agreste? You love Adrien Agreste?”

She nodded, a little confused at the nervous energy in his voice.

“Okay,” he breathed, letting go of her and turning away so that she wouldn’t see the joy on his face. “Okay.” He schooled his expression back to neutral and turned to her once more. “All right. That’s fair. I appreciate you taking this seriously, Marinette.” He gave her a tentative smile.

“Of course,” she stressed, giving his forearm a light touch. “You’re one of my best friends, Chat Noir, and I care about you so, so much. I don’t want to end up hurting you by rushing into anything. I’m sorry that I can’t say yes right now, but I don’t want to jump the gun and screw things up.”

He nodded, giving her shoulder a pat before going back over to his workstation to cut more gingerbread ninjas out of the dough. “It’s okay,” he assured, unable to help the way his tail lashed back and forth around his feet in excitement. “It’ll probably be easier to decide tomorrow once I show you who I am behind the mask.”

She shook her head and went back to decorating ninjas. “Chat Noir, I already know who you are behind the mask. Knowing your name isn’t going to change who you are as a person. I already know _you_.”

His heart swelled at that, and he smiled so hard down at the dough he thought his face was going to crack in half. “I don’t know, Princess. It’s a _really_ good name.”

She let out a snort of laughter, and it was clear that their easy friendship had survived part one of the love confession. “Oh, I’m sure it is, Chat Noir. I’m sure your parents did a better job than you did naming yourself. I mean, you literally called yourself ‘black cat’.”

“Hey,” he whined, putting on the biggest pout he could muster through laughter. “I was put on the spot, and there are plenty of anime characters called ‘Chat Noir’. Thirteen-year-old me thought it was cool. Sixteen-year-old me _still_ thinks it’s cool.”

“Your face is cool,” Marinette snickered.

“Thanks. So’s yours,” he shot right back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? I hope you enjoyed the fluff. Marichat is actually my favourite love square dynamic. Lady Noir and Ladrien were a little out of my comfort zone, but this Marichat chapter came much more naturally. I hope that's reflected in the writing. Hopefully the chapter flowed well, but I'll let you guys be the judge. ^.^;
> 
> Thanks for reading, guys. I'll see you Saturday, 08/08/2020 for the Adrienette conclusion. Take care!
> 
> References:  
> Gingerbread Ninjas: https://www.amazon.com/Mix-Gingerbread-Cookie-Ninja-Ounce/dp/B009EVLREO  
> Cat Apron: https://flamingoboutique.ca/products/i-love-my-cat


	4. Adrienette: Lips

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Welcome to the final chapter. Thank you so much for sticking with me to the end. I've really appreciated your support and encouragement, and I hope you enjoy Chapter Four!
> 
> Chapter Four takes place the day after Chapter Three, so it's Monday evening in this chapter.
> 
> Enjoy!

“I’m not trying to sneak up on you,” Adrien announced as Marinette shut her locker door, causing Marinette to unintentionally slam the door and yelp.

Adrien grimaced. “But, apparently, I’m just that good, I don’t even have to _try_.”

“One of these days, you’re going to give me a heart attack,” Marinette sighed, slumping back against her locker.

“But, for now, I’m just helping you sneak in an extra bit of cardio,” he countered with a saccharine smile. “Not that you need it.” He threw in a wink for good measure.

She rolled her eyes even as she spared him an indulgent smile. “Flirt.”

“Only with you,” he promised.

“So, what’s up?” Marinette chuckled, tucking an errant bang back behind her ear. “Did you just scare me half to death because you wanted to say hi, or did you need something?”

“Actually, are you available for an hour or two? I need your help with something,” he lied, mentally crossing his fingers.

“Today is your lucky day,” she informed him. “I did have plans with Alya, but she unexpectedly dropped me at the last minute without a good explanation, so I’m not only free but also considering shopping for a new best friend, if you want to apply.”

Adrien wrote himself a mental reminder to make it up to Alya at some point.

“I am supposed to meet up with another friend later,” Marinette added, “so I can’t be out too late, but I don’t think he’ll be dropping by my place until this evening, so I should be okay to help out for an hour or two.”

“Perfect,” Adrien agreed, figuring she meant the other him and that her calendar would clear up once she found out he and Chat Noir were one and the same. “I guess the only question is: What are you looking for in a best friend?”

She pursed her lips in thought for a moment. “Hm. Unconditional emotional support, someone to explain to me how I’m being illogical when I freak out, and someone who I can talk about boys with.”

“I think I’m qualified for the job,” Adrien reported with a proud grin. “Sign me up.”

Marinette quirked an eyebrow at him, putting a damper on his smile.

“What? You don’t think I can do it?” He jutted his bottom lip out into a pout.

“I’m just having a hard time imagining you talking about boys,” she admitted.

“I am perfectly capable of discussing how dreamy Luka’s smile is or how hot Chat Noir’s butt looks in leather, thank you very much,” he huffed indignantly.

Marinette’s eyes momentarily went wide, but she quickly got a handle on her surprise. “Apologies. It seems I underestimated you. You can be my best friend until I inevitably forgive Alya for flaking on me.”

“Deal,” Adrien replied with a resolute nod. “So…shall we?”

“Let’s,” she agreed, slipping her arm through his. “Lead the way.”

A quick drive found them at Le Grand Paris on their way up to one of the suites occupying the top floors of the hotel.

“What exactly did you need help with here?” Marinette wonder as Adrien used the keycard to swipe them in.

Adrien paused with his hand on the door handle. “I don’t, actually,” he admitted. “That was just an excuse. The truth is that I have a surprise for you.”

She blinked, trying to process Adrien-hotel room-surprise.

He intercepted her line of thought and headed her off before she could go there. “Please disregard the fact that I’ve brought you to a hotel and that there’s a bed behind this door and everything that that could possibly implicate,” he rushed to assure her. “It’s nothing like that. Chloé’s just doing me a favour letting me use the space. All this is is a private venue that I didn’t have to use my credit card—which my father tracks—to reserve.”

Marinette considered him for a moment, trying to fight down the urge to panic because she was pretty sure that Adrien Agreste was about to ask her out using an elaborate romantic gesture, and she wasn’t sure what she was going to say because just yesterday she had told Chat Noir that she wasn’t sure where she stood and what she wanted.

“What exactly is this surprise?” she tried to hold it together as she asked, tried to tell herself that maybe she was jumping the gun.

He pushed the door open and bowed dramatically, motioning for her to go first.

She stepped past him and gasped at the suite covered in rose petals, lit by the hazy glow of fairy lights. [Soft instrumental music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64B-gW9FtY8&feature=youtu.be&t=2996) was playing in the background. A picnic was spread out on a blanket on the floor, and by the massive TV were four different kinds of video game consoles and a stack of assorted racing, fighting, and multiplayer games.

“I hope this is okay,” Adrien chuckled nervously as he closed the door behind them. “This is kind of my dream scenario as far as romantic settings go. With the rose petals and the picnic and the soft lighting. There’s even a balcony we could stargaze from. I know it’s the middle of winter, but we could wrap up in blankets, and…”

He stopped talking and gulped, both scared to continue and anxious to get it over with. “…I know this is similar to the surprise you saw two years ago that I prepared for Ladybug, but I want you to know it’s not just a recycled idea. I did change things up with you specifically in mind, so…I hope that’s okay.”

Marinette sucked in a sharp breath, feeling like her lungs had forgotten how to use air.

Her knees felt like they were about to buckle, but she kept ahold of herself enough to whisper a shaky, “Chat Noir?”

Adrien’s heart leapt at the same time that the bottom dropped out of his stomach. “Hi, Princess.”

She whipped around, launching herself at him, pulling him to her and squeezing him tight as she cried. “It’s you.”

“It’s me,” he confirmed, returning her crushing hug. “I take it from your reaction that this is a good thing?”

She pulled back only to surge forward into a kiss, crushing her mouth to his eager lips.

When she broke away, she shook her head, unable to control her wide, dopey grin. “You have no idea how happy I am. I was dreading choosing between you. I didn’t know how I was going to do it. Either way, I would have had regrets.”

“Well, now you don’t have to choose,” he hummed happily, practically delirious from her kiss. “Though, I’m really glad that you would have had such a hard time picking. I’m glad that you fell in love with both sides of me. Sorry to put you through that, though.” He grimaced. “It seemed like a lot to dump on you yesterday, so I waited until today to do the reveal. You know. In case you reacted badly or something. I didn’t want to leave you to finish the rest of the gingerbread ninja order by yourself.”

She laughed breathily. “Oh, you don’t know the _half_ of what you’ve put me through this weekend.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Oh? Enlighten me.”

She took a deep breath. “Friday night, when you told me you were in love with someone, I was heartsick over losing you.”

Adrien’s brow furrowed as he played back his Friday, trying to remember when he’d told Marinette he was in love with someone.

“Then,” she continued, “after I’d accepted that you’d never be mine, Saturday night you told me that you were thinking about asking me out, and I was so, so happy Adrien.”

Adrien’s frown grew deeper in his attempt to call up memories of talking to Marinette on Saturday.

“ _Then_ ,” she snorted, “yesterday, you tell me that _I’m_ the one you’re in love with, and I have a meltdown about choosing between you, but today you’re the same person, and I’m the same person, and everything is going to be all right.”

Adrien’s eyes went wide as his breath caught in his throat. “When…did I tell you that I was going to ask you out?” he asked, voice quavering.

He thought he knew the answer, but he was scared to hope. Historically, his luck had never been _that_ good.

She smiled warmly. “When I fell into your garden like the klutz that I am,” she whispered.

He gasped. “My Lady.”

“Chaton,” she started to chuckle, but Adrien swallowed the ending, pulling her lips back to his.

It was a sloppy, unskillful kiss flavored with bouts of laughter and the salt of their tears as they released a wide range of emotions.

When they finally calmed down and slowed to a stop several minutes later, Adrien was the one to break the silence.

“Just to be clear, this means that you _will_ go out with me, right?”

Marinette burst out laughing, holding onto his shoulders to keep from toppling over.

Adrien winced. “Princess, I actually need a yes or no response here.”

“Yes!” she giggled. “I’m sorry, Adrien. Yes, yes, _yes_.”

“Okay, good,” he breathed in relief, his body relaxing. “In that case, did you want to get some snacks first, or would you rather skip straight to kicking my butt at video games? I was thinking we could save the stargazing until a little later.”

“Snacks and then video games sound wonderful, Chaton,” she hummed happily, melting into her boyfriend, her partner.

The

End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it. The series is complete. ^.^ I hope you enjoyed it. Did you have a favourite scene or a favourite line? Which chapter did you like best? I like the banter between Adrien and Marinette at the beginning of this chapter. And the Marichat friendship in Chapter Three. And Ladybug falling off the Agreste Mansion roof. Anyway. I had fun tackling the whole love square in one story; I hope you had fun reading it.
> 
> I originally didn’t pick out any particular songs for the “soft instrumental music” playing in the hotel room, but then it really bothered me that I hadn’t because Adrien would have agonized over what to play while he was preparing the surprise. So I decided on Chopin waltzes. ^.^ Adrien is using a recording of himself playing.
> 
> Thank you for reading guys! Take care.
> 
> References:  
> Soft Instrumental Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64B-gW9FtY8&feature=youtu.be&t=2996

**Author's Note:**

> Come follow me on [Tumblr](https://mikauzoran.tumblr.com/).


End file.
